Measuring cup attachment for pressure containers



1965 L. A. MICALLEF 3,203,454

MEASURING CUP ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSURE CONTAINERS Filed May 15, 1963 FIG. I

llnlallll m Ill] INVENTOR. LEWIS A MICALLEF BY W WMZJ Md ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,203,454 MEASURING CUP ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSURE CONTAINERS Lewis A. Micallef, New York, N.Y., assignor to Leeds and Micailet, New York, N.Y., a partnership Filed May 13, 1963, Ser. No. 279,961 3 Ciaims. (Cl. 141-113) This invention relates to attachments for pressure containers and has for its object to provide a measuring cup to facilitate the discharge of measured amounts of liquid from the container.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide measuring cups for so-called aerosol containers, but such cups have not been satisfactory for the reason that it is very diflicult to so regulate the pressure on the discharge valve as to confine the discharged liquid Within the walls of the cup.

The object of the present invention is to provide a measuring cup wherein the flow of the liquid is so controlled as to provide a slowly rising level of the liquid in the cup which can be instantly cut off when the desired quantity has been discharged.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention and in the said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a conventional so-called aerosol container equipped with my improved measuring cup; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view partially in section on an enlarged scale of the plug through which the flow of the liquid is controlled.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the body of the conventional aerosol container and 2 the top cap. Projecting upwardly from the cap 2 is a stem 4 through which the liquid is discharged when the stem is depressed.

In the ordinary use of the container above described the contents are discharged through an opening 5 in the side wall of the stem adjacent its top, usually in the form of a mist or spray. In the measuring cups of the prior art it has been proposed to surround the stem with a cup into which the contents are directly discharged through the opening 5. In my improved container the contents are not discharged directly from the stem into the cup but instead the liquid is discharged through a valve of novel construction which serves as a distributor for directing the liquid from the stern opening in all directions radially in a plane parallel with the bottom of the cup.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as herein illustrated this valve is in the form of a plug 6 (see FIG. 2) which is press fitted into a central hole 7 in the bottom 8 of the measuring cup. The cup is preferably of the form shown in FIG. 1 and comprises in addition to the bottom 8, side walls 9 of a height to give it the desired capacity.

The cup is provided with a downwardly extending marginal flange 10 which fits freely within the neck of the container, as shown in FIG. 1, when the cup is used. The plug 6 as shown in FIG. 2 comprises a central tubular portion 11 which has a fluid-tight fit on the stem 4 and a cap portion 12 which is of greater diameter than the plug and fits against the bottom 8 around the opening 7. The cap 12 is provided with a number of radial slots 13 which communicate at their inner ends with the central bore of the plug and serve to conduct the liquid dischar ed 3,203,454 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 from the openings 5 in different radial directions when the stem 4 is depressed to open the valve and permit the outflow of the liquid.

The plug 12 is of molded plastic and as will be noted the radial slots 13 are connected at their inner ends with a circumferential groove 14 at the upper end of the central bore of the plug, and at their outer ends with a circumferential groove 15 in underface of the plug. The material of the cap extends radially beyond the circumferential groove 15 as shown .at 16 to form a marginal flange of reduced thickness which serves as a valve to prevent the backflow of the liquid when the discharge valve is closed, and also serves to direct the flow of liquid radially outward across the bottom wall of the cup throughout the entire circumference of the plug.

In operation the cup is fitted on the stem 4 of the container as shown in FIG. 1, and when pressed downwardly will eifect the opening of the container valve and permit a discharge of the contents of the cup through the hole 5 into the annular groove 14 joining the inner ends of the radial groove 13. The liquid passes through the radial groove 13 into the outer circumferential groove 15 and thence under the marginal edges of the plug into the cup.

By my improved construction the area of discharge of the liquid is so enlarged and the liquid is so directed that under the usual pressure of aerosol containers the liquid flows quietly out around the margin of the plug, thereby producing a gradual rise of level in the cup so that an exact amount can be readily measured off.

I claim:

1. A measuring cup for pressurized containers having a downwardly movable discharge valve operating member in an end wall, a tubular sleeve extending downwardly from the bottom wall of said cup, the bottom end of said sleeve being shaped to engage said member and surround the discharge opening of said container, said tubular sleeve extending above the bottom of said cup, discharge passages in the wall of said sleeve adjacent the inner face of the bottom wall of said cup, a closure for the end of said sleeve, said closure having a flange extending substantially beyond the wall of said sleeve and having at its outer edge an unbroken flat surface contacting the bottom wall of said cup and an annular groove within said flat surface, the discharge passages in said sleeve opening into said groove.

2. The measuring cup of claim 1 wherein the tubular sleeve and end closure therefor are formed in one piece fixedly supported in the bottom wall of said cup.

3. The measuring cup of said claim 1 for use in connection with containers in which the discharge valve is located in an annular recess in the container wall wherein the bottom wall of said cup has an annular extension to fit within said recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,722,227 11/55 Blann 141360 X 2,811,289 10/57 Davis et al. 222394 2,907,358 10/59 Armstrong 141360 2,913,749 11/59 Ayres 222-894 3,109,558 11/63 Yetter 141--352 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MEASURING CUP FOR PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS HAVING A DOWNWARDLY MOVABLE DISCHARGE VALVE OPERATING MEMBER IN AN END WALL, A TUBULAR SLEEVE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CUP, THE BOTTOM END OF SAID SLEEVE BEING SHAPED TO ENGAGE SAID MEMBER, AND SURROUND THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE EXTENDING ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID CUP, DISCHARGE PASSAGES IN THE WALL OF SAID SLEEVE ADJACENT THE INNER FACE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CUP, A CLOSURE FOR THE END OF SAID SLEEVE, SAID CLOSURE HAVING A FLANGE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND THE WALL OF SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING AT ITS OUTER EDGE AN UNBROKEN FLAT SURFACE CONTACTING THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CUP AND AN ANNULAR GROOVE WITHIN SAID FLAT SURFACE, THE DISCHARGE PASSAGES IN SAID SLEEVE OPENING INTO SAID GROOVE. 